What is the
Shifaa Method?
An integrated approach to healing rooted in Islamic Psychology and the science of the soul.
The Shifaa Method brings together Islamic teachings, psychological understanding, spiritual practice, and embodied awareness to support a deeper understanding of the human being and the journey of healing.
Rather than focusing only on symptoms, the method attends to the inner life of the person, exploring the heart, soul, mind, body, and the relationships between them. It offers a framework for understanding ourselves more deeply and cultivating the conditions for meaningful transformation.
Developed by Dr. Abdallah Rothman, the Shifaa Method brings together his years of clinical practice, scholarship, and engagement with the Islamic tradition into an integrated approach to understanding the human being and the process of healing.
The method offers a framework for working with the heart, soul, mind, and body, drawing on the depth of Islamic Psychology while engaging with contemporary therapeutic practice. It is grounded in the belief that meaningful healing begins with a deeper understanding of who we are and how the different dimensions of our being are connected.
Rooted in the Islamic understanding of the human being, the soul, and the path of transformation.
Attending to the interconnected dimensions of heart, soul, self, intellect, and body.
Drawing thoughtfully from contemporary therapeutic approaches while responding to the needs and context of each person.
The Model of the Soul
The Shifaa Method is grounded in an Islamic understanding of the human being and the development of the soul.
Developed through Dr. Abdallah Rothman’s research, this model brings together the qalb, ‘aql, nafs, and ruh within a wider understanding of fitrah, the Divine, and the world in which we live. It offers a way of understanding the inner dynamics of the human being and the forces that can move us toward or away from our innate nature.
At the center of the model is the qalb, understood as the spiritual centre of the person, with the capacity to move toward the lower impulses of the nafs or toward the higher nature of the ruh. The path of development involves purification of the soul, struggle, and refinement of character, with the aim of moving toward greater alignment with fitrah.
This model provides an important foundation for understanding how the Shifaa Method approaches psychological, spiritual, and human development.
Heart
The qalb is central to our inner life. It is where perception, intention, meaning, and transformation unfold, and where our relationship with ourselves and the Divine is experienced.
Spirit
The ruh points to the spiritual dimension of the human being and our relationship with the Divine. It speaks to something deeper than our psychological experience and to the sacred dimension of human existence.
Self
The nafs is the dimension through which we experience desire, struggle, attachment, and development. Its refinement is part of the ongoing journey toward greater awareness and wholeness.
Intellect
The ‘aql is our capacity to understand, reflect, discern, and make meaning. It allows us to engage our experience with awareness and to distinguish between what benefits and what harms.
Body
The body is an essential dimension of our human experience. It is where we encounter the world, carry our experiences, and often experience what is taking place within our inner life.
Level 01 — Where you begin
Explore the core concepts and principles that underpin the Shifaa Method. Understand the Islamic spiritual psychology framework and its application to modern therapeutic practice.
Explore Level 01Level 02 — Putting it into practice
Develop practical skills through guided exercises and supervised practice. Learn to integrate heart-centered, somatic approaches into therapeutic work with clients.
Explore Level 02Level 03 — Into your practice
Advance to supervised clinical practice and deepen your understanding. Integrate the Shifaa Method into your professional practice with ongoing guidance and mentorship.
Explore Level 03The Shifaa Method is at the heart of everything we do at Dar al-Shifaa.
From our therapeutic work and learning experiences to our retreats, meditations, and community spaces, the Shifaa Method provides the grounding framework through which we understand the human being and approach healing.
Everything we offer is an expression of this approach, rooted in the Islamic tradition and shaped by Dr. Abdallah Rothman’s ongoing work in Islamic Psychology.
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© 2026 Dar al-Shifaa, a project of DAR Labs. All rights reserved.
© 2026 Dar al-Shifaa, a project of DAR Labs. All rights reserved.
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